In this week’s news from the light rail sector – Services to Edgbaston all set to launch this weekend, Luas fights vandalism, engineering works in Nottingham and a state-of-the-art simulator in Tyne & Wear.
A bold strategy aimed at driving the growth of light rail has been well received by delegates at a high-profile event for sector professionals.
Launched earlier in July by UKTram, the landmark strategy document proved a hot topic for discussion at the UK Light Rail Conference in Gateshead this week and was referenced by several high-profile speakers.
Building a compelling case for tramways and similar transit systems, its publication has already been welcomed by Transport Minister Baroness Vere, who gave a video presentation to the conference.
UKTram Managing Director, James Hammett, said there was also plenty of positive feedback on the strategy from delegates and you can read more here.
Blending both live and virtual elements, the conference itself saw two days of interactive debate on a diverse range of topics and you can find out more about the event here.
In other light rail news:
West Midlands Metro
The first passenger tram services to Edgbaston are set to be launched this Sunday (17th July).
The opening of phase two of the Birmingham Westside Metro extension takes the line along Broad Street to Hagley Road adding three stops along the way at Brindleyplace, Five Ways and the end of the line at Edgbaston Village.
Trams will also be calling at all stops in Birmingham city centre including Grand Central, restoring the convenient link to regional and national rail services and Library and the full story can be found here.
NET
Essential track replacement work around Nottingham’s Hyson Green tram stop is set to start later this month.
Between Wednesday, July 27, and Sunday, August 7, trams will be unable to operate between Wilkinson Street and The Forest although a replacement bus service between the two stops will enable customers to complete their journeys.
As reported here, the work is being done as part of our scheduled maintenance programme which aims to ensure customers continue to enjoy a safe and comfortable journey.
Sheffield Supertram
Stagecoach Supertram plans to provide a great way of getting to and from Tramlines Festival 22nd – 24th July, with frequent services direct to and from the festival site from the City Centre, railway station and various car parks.
Its DayRider tickets offer a great value ride there and back, and can be bought in advance on the Stagecoach app at a discounted price or on the tram from a Conductor. Further information can be found here.
Tyne & Wear Metro
A state-of-the-art simulator will offer Metro drivers a fully immersive training experience as they countdown to the new trains arriving.
The fully sized replica of the new Metro train cab has been installed at the Nexus Learning Centre in South Shields. It uses CGI to give a realistic and interactive train driving experience.
The simulator, which has been provided by Stadler, will be used for essential training and familiarisation ahead of the first new Metro train arriving in North East England at the end of the year. For the full story, click here.
Luas
The operator of the Dublin system is urging customers to report any acts of vandalism they see on the tramway.
By reporting incidents, they can help the operator put a stop to vandalism and ensure that damage and graffiti are dealt with in a timely manner.
Customers can discreetly report an act of vandalism in real-time by using the Luas Security Text Service which can be done by texting the keyword ‘LUAS’, along with details of the incident to 51444. More information on the campaign can be found here.
Light Rail SSB
A new guide from the Light Rail SSB sets out to raise awareness of the importance of the Human Factor in designing new or upgraded Operations Control Centres (OCC).
The new, peer-reviewed guidance sets out how a human factors (HF) approach can optimise design and operations for new OCC as well as for amending existing facilities.
The guidance is available to download from the Light Rail SSB website here. It shows how the integration of human factors should be central to concept, design and delivery of new or improved OCC. For the full story, click here.
To be included in the next round-up, or the Members News section of the UKTram website, send your press releases to info@uktram.org.
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